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Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI)

@terryfoxresearch

Working to make Terry's dream of ending cancer through research a reality. tfri.ca

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Posts 18.03.2025
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Latest posts by Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) @terryfoxresearch

@cancersociety.bsky.social @ccsresearch.bsky.social

@ulaval.ca

@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social

06.03.2026 17:20 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic featuring project details. Picture in centre is of Dr. Fradet wearing blue-rimmed glasses, a patterned button-down shirt, and a lab coat with his name and the CHU de Québec Université Laval logo embroidered.

Graphic featuring project details. Picture in centre is of Dr. Fradet wearing blue-rimmed glasses, a patterned button-down shirt, and a lab coat with his name and the CHU de Québec Université Laval logo embroidered.

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed non-skin cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death in Canada. Yet doctors still lack reliable tools to predict who will develop the disease or identify those at risk of more aggressive forms. With $1 million in TFRI funding, matched by $1 million from the Canadian Cancer Society, a research team led by Dr. Vincent Fradet at the Université Laval will study the gut microbiome of 450 at-risk men to identify predictive markers and explore new, non-invasive prevention strategies.

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed non-skin cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death in Canada. Yet doctors still lack reliable tools to predict who will develop the disease or identify those at risk of more aggressive forms. With $1 million in TFRI funding, matched by $1 million from the Canadian Cancer Society, a research team led by Dr. Vincent Fradet at the Université Laval will study the gut microbiome of 450 at-risk men to identify predictive markers and explore new, non-invasive prevention strategies.

“Preventing deadly prostate cancers through low-risk, cost-effective interventions, while sparing patients from unnecessary diagnostic procedures, overtreatment and the significant side-effects of aggressive therapies, remains a critical unmet need that we will be tackling in this project,” says Dr. Fradet.

“Preventing deadly prostate cancers through low-risk, cost-effective interventions, while sparing patients from unnecessary diagnostic procedures, overtreatment and the significant side-effects of aggressive therapies, remains a critical unmet need that we will be tackling in this project,” says Dr. Fradet.

Smarter prostate cancer prevention may begin in the gut.

With $1M in TFRI funding, matched by CCS, a research team led by Dr. Vincent Fradet will study the gut microbiome of 450 at-risk men to predict aggressive disease and reduce overdiagnosis.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/yenve9kp

06.03.2026 17:20 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social @mcgill.ca @healthsciences.mcgill.ca

05.03.2026 18:19 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic featuring the project details. The photo in the middle is of Dr. Pollak wearing a light blue shirt and blue tie against a gray background.

Graphic featuring the project details. The photo in the middle is of Dr. Pollak wearing a light blue shirt and blue tie against a gray background.

With $1.9 million in Terry Fox funding through a Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grant, a multidisciplinary research team led by Dr. Michael Pollak based at McGill University will explore whether certain medications used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes could also reduce cancer risk. Emerging evidence suggests incretin-mimetics may reduce harmful inflammation, which can contribute to cancer. By combining lab models, clinical data and patient samples, the team will investigate how these medications influence cancer-related pathways and whether their benefits extend beyond weight loss to meaningful cancer prevention.

With $1.9 million in Terry Fox funding through a Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grant, a multidisciplinary research team led by Dr. Michael Pollak based at McGill University will explore whether certain medications used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes could also reduce cancer risk. Emerging evidence suggests incretin-mimetics may reduce harmful inflammation, which can contribute to cancer. By combining lab models, clinical data and patient samples, the team will investigate how these medications influence cancer-related pathways and whether their benefits extend beyond weight loss to meaningful cancer prevention.

“We estimate that at least one third of cancers could be prevented, and this funding gives us the opportunity to investigate an important clue that may help reduce cancer risk,” says Dr. Pollak.

“We estimate that at least one third of cancers could be prevented, and this funding gives us the opportunity to investigate an important clue that may help reduce cancer risk,” says Dr. Pollak.

Obesity is linked to more than 12 types of cancer. Could common weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic, help prevent them?

With TFRI funding, a team led by Dr. Michael Pollak is studying if widely used weight-loss drugs can go beyond managing weight to help prevent cancer.

tinyurl.com/4by2u77n

05.03.2026 18:19 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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We're hiring!
@terryfoxresearch.bsky.social is seeking to fill the following roles on the Digital Health & Discovery Platform (DHDP).

1. Data Engineer

2. Data Scientist

3. Senior Software Engineer

Applications open until roles filled. www.dhdp.ca/about/careers for details

04.03.2026 23:24 👍 3 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 1

@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social
@ubcmedicine.bsky.social

04.03.2026 18:59 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic featuring details of project. Pictured is Dr. Ogilvie wearing a black turtleneck, Dr. Marquez wearing a black button-down shirt with red dots, and Dr. Sekirov wearing a pink sweater.

Graphic featuring details of project. Pictured is Dr. Ogilvie wearing a black turtleneck, Dr. Marquez wearing a black button-down shirt with red dots, and Dr. Sekirov wearing a pink sweater.

Although Canada has made significant progress through screening and early treatment, recurrence after standard care continues to affect roughly 10 per cent of patients. The complex interplay between HPV, the immune system and the microbiome of the genital tract is still not fully understood. The Terry Fox Research Institute is investing $2 million to help change that. With this grant, a multidisciplinary team led by Drs. Gina Ogilvie, Inna Sekirov and Citlali Marquez will work to uncover how the body interacts with HPV and pinpoint those most at risk of cervical cancer, paving the way for personalized and preventative follow-up care.

Although Canada has made significant progress through screening and early treatment, recurrence after standard care continues to affect roughly 10 per cent of patients. The complex interplay between HPV, the immune system and the microbiome of the genital tract is still not fully understood. The Terry Fox Research Institute is investing $2 million to help change that. With this grant, a multidisciplinary team led by Drs. Gina Ogilvie, Inna Sekirov and Citlali Marquez will work to uncover how the body interacts with HPV and pinpoint those most at risk of cervical cancer, paving the way for personalized and preventative follow-up care.

"The knowledge gained from this research will help improve how we identify and monitor patients at higher risk, leading to more precise and effective follow-up care." - Dr. Gina Ogilvie, University of British Columbia.

"The knowledge gained from this research will help improve how we identify and monitor patients at higher risk, leading to more precise and effective follow-up care." - Dr. Gina Ogilvie, University of British Columbia.

March 4 is Intl. HPV Awareness Day: Ending cervical cancer is within reach, but only if we close the remaining gaps.

That's why TFRI is investing $2 million in a BC-based research team working to decode how the body and HPV interact to stop cervical cancer.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/mukh5fan

04.03.2026 18:59 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0

@ubcmedicine.bsky.social

@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social

03.03.2026 19:55 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic with project details. Picture in centre is of Dr. Tai against a concrete wall wearing glasses, a blouse and cardigan.

Graphic with project details. Picture in centre is of Dr. Tai against a concrete wall wearing glasses, a blouse and cardigan.

Chronic inflammation can lead to gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM), a condition where stomach cells change and sometimes progress to cancer. Because we can’t yet pinpoint high-risk lesions, patients undergo years of endoscopic surveillance, even though most will never develop cancer. With $2 million in funding from TFRI, a BC-based team led by Dr. Isabella Tai will map the genetic and protein profiles linked to high-risk lesions and validate these findings by creating gastric organoids – lab-grown models that mimic the stomach’s structure and function. By identifying the genes and pathways that drive progression, the team aims to identify high-risk patients and prevent gastric cancer before it begins.

Chronic inflammation can lead to gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM), a condition where stomach cells change and sometimes progress to cancer. Because we can’t yet pinpoint high-risk lesions, patients undergo years of endoscopic surveillance, even though most will never develop cancer. With $2 million in funding from TFRI, a BC-based team led by Dr. Isabella Tai will map the genetic and protein profiles linked to high-risk lesions and validate these findings by creating gastric organoids – lab-grown models that mimic the stomach’s structure and function. By identifying the genes and pathways that drive progression, the team aims to identify high-risk patients and prevent gastric cancer before it begins.

“This strategy would be a paradigm shift from passive surveillance to active treatment of gastric lesions, preventing gastric cancer from developing in the first place,” says Dr. Tai. “For patients, this would mean that doctors could actively treat pre-malignant lesions to prevent cancer from developing rather than waiting to treat the cancer itself.”

“This strategy would be a paradigm shift from passive surveillance to active treatment of gastric lesions, preventing gastric cancer from developing in the first place,” says Dr. Tai. “For patients, this would mean that doctors could actively treat pre-malignant lesions to prevent cancer from developing rather than waiting to treat the cancer itself.”

Imagine preventing stomach cancer before it starts, while dramatically reducing the amount of invasive monitoring patients undergo.

With $2M from TFRI, Dr. Isabella Tai's team will pinpoint and map high-risk stomach lesions to stop cancer before it starts.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/47d8k9s3

03.03.2026 19:55 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

@cancersociety.bsky.social
@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social
@utoronto.ca

02.03.2026 17:34 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic with details of the project. Photo within the graphic is of Dr. Martin wearing a black jacket standing in front of a concrete building and stairs.

Graphic with details of the project. Photo within the graphic is of Dr. Martin wearing a black jacket standing in front of a concrete building and stairs.

Graphic reads, "With a Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grant, funded by TFRI and the Canadian Cancer Society, a research team led by Dr. Alberto Martin at the University of Toronto is launching a $2-million project to investigate whether certain gut bacteria contribute to colorectal cancer and if dietary interventions can reduce these microbes and lower cancer risk. This project will identify which types of dietary fibre can suppress these cancer-promoting microbes, potentially informing new diet and lifestyle strategies, improving screening for high-risk individuals, and supporting more personalized prevention efforts, all aimed at reducing the burden of colorectal cancer before it begins."

Graphic reads, "With a Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grant, funded by TFRI and the Canadian Cancer Society, a research team led by Dr. Alberto Martin at the University of Toronto is launching a $2-million project to investigate whether certain gut bacteria contribute to colorectal cancer and if dietary interventions can reduce these microbes and lower cancer risk. This project will identify which types of dietary fibre can suppress these cancer-promoting microbes, potentially informing new diet and lifestyle strategies, improving screening for high-risk individuals, and supporting more personalized prevention efforts, all aimed at reducing the burden of colorectal cancer before it begins."

Graphic reads, "As an immunologist, joining the Terry Fox research community has been a career-long ambition...I am honored to have our work selected for this cancer prevention initiative and look forward to translating our proposed research plan into action." - Dr. Alberto Martin, University of Toronto.

Graphic reads, "As an immunologist, joining the Terry Fox research community has been a career-long ambition...I am honored to have our work selected for this cancer prevention initiative and look forward to translating our proposed research plan into action." - Dr. Alberto Martin, University of Toronto.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. TFRI Researchers are rethinking prevention from the inside out. 

With $2M from TFRI & CCS, Dr. Martin's team is studying how gut bacteria may affect colorectal cancer risk and whether dietary fibres can help prevent it.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/yc6uv256

02.03.2026 17:34 👍 9 🔁 1 💬 2 📌 0

@pmresearch-uhn.bsky.social
@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social

27.02.2026 18:28 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Graphic with project name and details. Photo is of Dr. Chan wearing a lab coat with a shirt and tie on a white background.

Graphic with project name and details. Photo is of Dr. Chan wearing a lab coat with a shirt and tie on a white background.

Most cancers begin with small DNA changes that build up over time. In up to one in three people over 60, these changes lead to clonal hematopoiesis (CH), a pre-cancerous condition that raises the risk of blood cancers like leukemia, but diabetes medications may help interrupt this process. Backed by $2M from the Terry Fox Research Institute, a research team, led by Dr. Steven Chan, at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, is exploring whether GLP-1 receptor agonists can prevent CH from progressing to cancer.

Most cancers begin with small DNA changes that build up over time. In up to one in three people over 60, these changes lead to clonal hematopoiesis (CH), a pre-cancerous condition that raises the risk of blood cancers like leukemia, but diabetes medications may help interrupt this process. Backed by $2M from the Terry Fox Research Institute, a research team, led by Dr. Steven Chan, at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, is exploring whether GLP-1 receptor agonists can prevent CH from progressing to cancer.

“Funding prevention-focused research like this is critical,” says Dr. Steven Chan. “If we can intervene early, before a pre-cancerous condition becomes a malignancy, we have the potential to spare patients from devastating diagnoses altogether.”

“Funding prevention-focused research like this is critical,” says Dr. Steven Chan. “If we can intervene early, before a pre-cancerous condition becomes a malignancy, we have the potential to spare patients from devastating diagnoses altogether.”

What if diabetes drugs, like Ozempic, could help prevent blood cancer?

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) affects up to 1 in 3 people over 60 and raises leukemia risk. With $2M from TFRI, Dr. Steven Chan is researching whether GLP-1 drugs can prevent CH progression.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/2st9ynj2

27.02.2026 18:28 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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An international collaboration to prevent #cancer!

Today @cancersociety.bsky.social , CIHR, @terryfoxresearch.bsky.social , the Japan Agency for Medical Research & Development, the Cancer Research Society & @biocanrx.bsky.social are investing $41.5 million to change the future of cancer prevention.

26.02.2026 21:14 👍 8 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 1

@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social @ccsresearch.bsky.social

26.02.2026 21:43 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

[Front row pictured L-R: Drs. Alberto Martin, Gina Ogilvie, Steven Chan. Bottom row pictured L-R Drs. Vincent Fradet, Michael Pollak, Isabella Tai]

@utoronto.ca @ubcmedicine.bsky.social @pmresearch-uhn.bsky.social @ulaval.ca @healthsciences.mcgill.ca

26.02.2026 21:43 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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For the first time, TFRI is investing directly in cancer prevention, partnering with CIHR & CCS, and investing $10M to support projects that deepen our understanding of cancer development and advance early detection and risk reduction.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/a2untpve

26.02.2026 21:43 👍 10 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 1
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Congratulations to Drs. Steven Chan & Faiyaz Notta on receiving Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grant, led by CIHR and partners. We are proud to see their work recognized as part of $41M+ investment in cancer prevention & early diagnosis research.
www.uhnresearch.ca/news/major-b...

26.02.2026 20:03 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Photo is of an ex-ray of a rib cage.

Photo is of an ex-ray of a rib cage.

Photo of lead researcher, Dr. Benjamin Lok. He is smiling and wearing a suit and tie.

Photo of lead researcher, Dr. Benjamin Lok. He is smiling and wearing a suit and tie.

Photo is of a clear DNA strand.

Photo is of a clear DNA strand.

Photo is an illustration of tumour cells.

Photo is an illustration of tumour cells.

ICYMI: Terry Fox-funded researchers at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have identified a new target that could enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy for small cell lung cancer.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/56j66yyb

@pmresearch-uhn.bsky.social @uhn.ca

25.02.2026 18:27 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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Unraveling the mystery of why some cancer treatments stop working Cancer researchers working on immunotherapies have made a big discovery: SLAMF6, a molecule on the surface of immune cells that prevents T-c...

Congratulations to TFRI's @marathonofhope.bsky.social executive director, Dr. André Veillette, and his team at IRCM & UdeM on discovering SLAMF6, an internal brake on the immune system, and developing antibodies to neutralize it.

Learn more about this breakthrough: www.tfri.ca/updates/news...

13.02.2026 22:49 👍 13 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 0
graphics card with caption headline and organization logos

graphics card with caption headline and organization logos

@terryfoxresearch.bsky.social and @medteq.bsky.social join forces to mobilize the Canadian Digital Health Ecosystem, help launch an Innovation Fund

www.dhdp.ca/updates/news...

13.02.2026 20:33 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

We’re proud to have helped fund this important research, made possible through the generosity of donors to the Terry Fox Foundation.

@terryfoxfoundation.bsky.social

12.02.2026 14:45 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Discovery of unique brain tumour subtypes offers hope for targeted glioma therapies Terry Fox-funded researchers have uncovered the mechanisms behind three unique subtypes of mismatch repair deficient high-grade gliomas.

📢 Congratulations to Dr. Uri Tabori and team on the discovery of three unique brain tumour subtypes – a finding that advances our understanding of how high-grade gliomas develop and could help guide more precise treatment approaches.

Learn more: tinyurl.com/mr3ttfxm

@sickkidsto.bsky.social

12.02.2026 14:45 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Dr. Jeanette Boudreau - Principal Investigator, Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grant

Her impact: Developing approaches that use natural killer cells as immunotherapy

@jeanetteeb.bsky.social @dalhousieu.bsky.social

11.02.2026 19:09 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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Pankhuri Gupta - Technical Product and Delivery Lead, DHDP

Her impact: Helping to build the Digital Health & Discovery Platform which brings together Canadian AI expertise and precision medicine to improve healthcare for Canadians

@dhdp-ca.bsky.social

11.02.2026 19:09 👍 6 🔁 4 💬 2 📌 1
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Yahan Zhang - Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network Health Informatics & Data Science Awardee

Her impact: Using machine learning to improve the efficacy of liquid biopsies

@pmresearch-uhn.bsky.social @marathonofhope.bsky.social

11.02.2026 19:09 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 1
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Dr. Emilia Lim - Terry Fox New Investigator Awardee

Her impact: Understanding how air pollution disrupts the molecular biology of the lungs to drive cancer

@ubcmedicine.bsky.social

11.02.2026 19:09 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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To mark International Day of Women and Girls in STEM, we’re highlighting women across TFRI and its programs who are advancing cancer genomics, immunotherapy, machine learning and AI-driven health data solutions.

Discover their stories and the impactful work they do: tinyurl.com/yd69ykbe

11.02.2026 19:09 👍 5 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 1

Nous sommes fiers d’annoncer que le Réseau des centres d’oncologie du Marathon de l’espoir a franchi une étape majeure. Grâce à la Cohorte de référence, la ressource de cas de cancer la plus importante et la plus complète au Canada, le Réseau accélère l’oncologie de précision partout au pays.

03.02.2026 19:41 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0